This article summarizes the commonly-used acupuncture and moxibustion therapies, such as acupuncture therapy, moxibustion therapy, auriculo-acupuncture therapy,acupoint-injection therapy, electro-acupuncture therapy, acupoint-application therapy and the comprehensive therapy, in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and explores the possible mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion in treating diabetes mellitus from the influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on levels of the blood sugar level, insulin, blood lipid, blood rheology, anti-peroxide, the contents of cAMP and cGMP, and the activity of Na+ -K+/ATPase.

Jiujing Tu (Illustration of Moxibustion), excavated from Mo Kao Grotto at Dunhuang, is one of the earliest existing monographs on moxibustion. The medical masters from different schools have focused on this book because it is different from the existing ancient medical works and have not been collected in the medical works of different dynasties. In this study, the literature of Jiujing Tu on five acupoints (Dachangshu, Pangguangshu, Daxiaochangshu, Nieshu and Cigong) relevant with intestinal disorders is collected. It is intended to discuss and analyze the acupoint location, main intestinal disorder, moxibustion characters, recognition on the literature of different dynasties and modern clinical applications. It is believed that the thought of strong moxibustion in the treatment of intestinal disorders advocated in Jiujing Tu has profound impact on the medical development in later generations. It deserves us to have a further digging, collection and promotion of this thought in the modern time.
Acupuncture Points ; Books, Illustrated ; history ; China ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Meridians ; Moxibustion ; history

In this series, 24 cases of ulcerative colitis and 23 cases of chronic colitis were treated with drug partition -moxibustion with total effective rates of 95. 83% and 95. 55% respectively, markedly excelled that of control group treated with western medicine. Comparison made on the results of the 15 cases of ulcerative colitis before and after treatment showed that drug partition - moxibustion inhibits humoral immunity and strengthens cellular immunity. It is suggested that the mechanism might lie on the adjustment on the abnormal ratio between T - lymphocytes subgroups, hence the self - immune state in the patient can be checked and the mucosal lesion in the intestine corrected.

Objective: The present study is to investigate the mechanism of electro-acupuncture in preventing and treating lumbar intervertebral disk displacement. Methods: Seventy-five Sprauge-Dawley rats were used to establish the models of lumbar intervertebral disk displacement by operation, and divided into five groups including electro-acupuncture group, western medicine group, acupuncture plus medicine group, model group and normal control group, then they were treated with corresponding therapeutic method. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA in the lumbar intervertebral disk tissues of rats was detected by RT-PCR. Results: The expression of iNOS mRNA in the lumbar intervertebral disk tissues of rats in model group was compared with that in normal control group, the significant difference was found (P<0.01); While the expressions of iNOS mRNA in the lumbar intervertebral disk tissues of rats in electro-acupuncture group, western drug group and acupuncture plus medicine group were all inhibited, and compared with the model group, the significant differences were also found (P<0.01). Conclusion: Electro-acupuncture could inhibit the expression of iNOS mRNA in the lumbar intervertebral disk tissue.

OBJECTIVETo observe the impact of acupuncture on the subjective symptom, sleep quality and sleep efficiency in the patients of insomnia differentiated as spleen deficiency or non-spleen deficiency in terms of the spleen and stomach theory.

METHODSSixty patients with insomnia were divided into a spleen deficiency group and a non-spleen deficiency group, 30 cases in each one. In the two groups, acupuncture was applied at Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Tianshu (ST 25). The treatment was given once every other day, five times as one course, and two courses were required. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to observe the changes in the patients' subjective symptoms. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was adopted to observe the changes of patients' sleep quality. The sleep efficiency was applied to observe the changes in sleep time. The clinical efficacy was determined.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was both 80. 0% (24/30) after 5 and 10 treatments in the spleen deficiency group and was 76. 7% (23/30) and 80. 0% (24/30) respectively in the non-spleen deficiency group. The differences were not significant between the two groups (both P >0. 05). The AIS total scores and PSQI total scores were reduced apparently after 5 and 10 treatments as compared with those before treatment (all P<0. 01). The difference at each time point was not significant between the two groups (all P>0. 05). The sleep efficiency after 5 and 10 treatments was all improved as compared with that before the treatment in the two groups (all P<0. 01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture based on the spleen and stomach theory achieves possibly the same clinical efficacy in the patients of insomnia differentiated as those with spleen deficiency and non-spleen deficiency. It relieves the subjective symptoms and improves the sleep quality and sleep efficiency in the patients.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sleep ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Spleen ; physiopathology ; Stomach ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome

Recurrent low back pain and reflex sciatica of lower limbs are the two leading symptoms of prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc, which can be confirmed in the history, symptoms, signs and imaging examination such as CT scan and MRI. It should be differentiated from those conditions characterized by lumbago and/or possible sciatica. Tuina was performed mostly on the Bladder Meridian,Gallbladder Meridian and Governor Vessel, as well as their acupoints such as Jiaji (Ex-B 2) points,Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Huantiao (GB 30), Weizhong (BL 40),Chengshan (BL 57), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Ashi points. Thumb-massaging manipulation, rolling manipulation, pulling manipulation, pressing manipulation, kneading manipulation and grasping manipulation are often performed.

Objective: To investigate the improving effects of different moxibustion therapies on colonic injury in rats with ulcerative colitis (UC), and on the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA.Methods: Rats model of UC was made with immune methods and local stimulation. The models were treated with different moxibustion therapies 14 times, and then the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA were tested in the colonic tissue with fluorescent quantitative PCR. Results: (1)General scores of colon and histologic scores of injury were improved in all treatment groups except the model group (P＜0.05, P＜0.01); (2) The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA in the model rats of UC was higher than that in the normal rats (P＜0.01), whereas Bax lower (P＜0.01); (3) After treatments, the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA was lower in the herb cake-partitioned moxibustion, ginger-partitioned moxibustion, and garlic-partitioned moxibustion groups than that in the model group (P＜0.05, P＜0.01), and Bax mRNA in the herb cake-partitioned and ginger-partitioned groups was higher (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Herb cake-partitioned moxibustion, ginger-partitioned moxibustion, garlic-partitioned moxibustion, and mild moxibustion could improve the pathological injury in UC rats. Herb cake-partitioned moxibustion, ginger-partitioned moxibustion, and garlic-partitioned moxibustion could inhibit the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and Bax mRNA in the colonic tissue of UC rats to regulate the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax mRNA.

Objective: To observe the changes of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in colonic membrane of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) and the clinical efficacy of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion in treating it, and to explore the action mechanisms. Methods: Seventy-three subjects were randomized into two groups: moxibustion group in which 37 cases were treated by herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion and needling group in which 36 cases were treated by needling. The clinical efficacy and 5-HT expression in colonic membrane were observed. Results: The cure rate was 43.2% in the moxibustion group and 36.1% in the needling group, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion could reduce 5-HT expression in colonic membrane. Conclusion: Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion might improve the clinical symptoms of IBS-D by reducing 5-HT expression.

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture-moxibustion on the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and suppressor of cytokine signaling-2 (SOCS2) in colonic mucosa of rat models of ulcerative colitis (UC), and explore the mechanism of acupuncture- moxibustion therapy in treating UC. Methods: The rats were randomized into a normal control (NC) group, a model control (MC) group, an herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) group and an electroacupuncture (EA) group, 8 in each group. The rat models of UC were established by immunological methods combined with local stimulation. The rats in the HPM and EA groups were given herb-partitioned moxibustion and electroacupuncture treatments respectively, once every day, lasting for 14 d. The morphological variations of rat's colonic mucosa were observed under light microscope; the colonic mucosal mucin was detected by PAS-AB and HID-AB staining methods; the expression of IGF-1 and SOCS2 was assayed by the immunohistochemical method. Results: In the rat models of UC, ulceration and inflammation of the colon were revealed by light microscope. The concentration of colonic mucosal mucin was reduced (P<0.01), while the expression of IGF-1 had an increase (P<0.01), and the expression of SOCS2 was reduced (P<0.01). After HPM or EA treatment, the pathological injuries of colonic mucosa had improved, the concentration of mucin increased (P<0.01), the expression of IGF-1 decreased (P<0.01), and the expression of SOCS2 increased (P<0.01). Conclusion: The secretion of mucosal mucin in rat UC decreased, the expression of IGF-1 was significantly higher, while the expression of SOCS2 was remarkably lower; both HPM and EA can help improve the damage of colonic mucosa in rat UC, and modulate the secretion of mucin, as well as regulate the expression of IGF-1 and SOCS2 in the colonic mucosa.